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Chapter Twelve

SEVEN DAYS

Friday , Luce's eyes blinked open and fell on the clock Seven-thirty aotten any sleep--she was a ry about the past life she'd witnessed the day before via the Announcer It was so eerie to have seen theup to her death Would they all have been like that? Her ainst the saain:

If it hadn't been for Daniel

Would she have had a shot at a norold like the rest of the world? If it hadn't been for Daniel falling in love with her ages ago, would Dawn be ht now?

These questions were all detours, which eventually owed back to the most important one: Would love be di erent with someone else? Was love even possible with someone else? Love was supposed to be easy, wasn't it? Then why did she feel so tor down fro behind her like a heavy rope "Are you as freaked out by all this as I am?"

Luce patted the bed for Shelby to scoot down and sit next to her Still in her thick red annel pajaiant bars of dark chocolate with her

Luce was going to say she couldn't possibly eat, but as the scent of the chocolate wafted to her nose, she peeled back the bronze foil and gave Shelby a tiny smile

"Hits the spot," Shelby said "You know that thing I said last night about Dawn reaseball? I feel really bad about it"

Luce shook her head "Oh, Shel, you didn't know You can't feel bad about that" She, on the other hand, had plenty of reason to feel sick over what had happened to Dawn Luce had spent soresponsible for the deaths of people near her--Trevor, then Todd, then poor, poor Penn Her throat closed up at the thought of adding Dawn to the list She wiped a silent tear away before Shelby could see It was getting to a point where she was going to have to quarantine herself, to stay away from everyone she loved so that they could be safe

A knock on their door made Luce and Shelby both jump The door opened slowly Miles

"They found Dawn"

"What?" Luce and Shelby asked, sitting up in unison

Miles dragged Luce's desk chair over to the bed and sat facing the girls He took his cap o and wiped his forehead It was beaded with sweat, like he'd co across caht," he said, turning the cap in his hands "I was up early, walking around I ran into Steven and he told ht her back around sunrise She's shaken up, but she's not hurt"

"That's a miracle," Shelby et it They just brought her back? Unhar had it taken whoever they were to realize they had the wrong girl?

"It wasn't that simple," Miles admitted "Steven was involved He rescued her"

"Froed, rocking back on two legs of the chair "Beats me I'm sure Steven knows, but, uh, I'm not exactly his rst choice for pillow talk"

The idea made Shelby hoot That Dawn had been found, unharrowing nu: It should have been rabbed a T-shirt and jeans from her closet She had to nd Dawn Daas the only person who could answer her questions And even though Daould never understand, Luce knew she owed her an apology

"Steven did say that the people who took her won't be back any Luce worriedly

"And you believe him?" Luce sco ed

"Why shouldn't he?" a voice asked froainst the threshold in a khaki trench coat She was radiating calm, but she didn't seem exactly happy to see them "Dawn is home now and she's safe"

"I want to see her," Luce said, feeling ridiculous standing there in the tattered T-shirt and running shorts she'd slept in

Francesca pursed her lips "Dawn's fao She'll be back at Shoreline when the ti happened?" Luce threw up her arms "Like Daasn't kidnapped--"

"She wasn't kidnapped," Francesca corrected "She was borrowed, and it turned out to be a mistake Steven handled it"

"Um, is that supposed to make us feel better? She was borrowed? For what?"

Luce searched Francesca's features--and saw nothing but levelheaded caled: They narrowed, then widened, and a silent plea passed from Francesca to Luce Francesca wanted Luce not to shohat she suspected in front of Miles or Shelby Luce didn't knohy, but she trusted Francesca